


Child

by Virodeil



Series: Caught Is Caught Is Cuddled [22]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - what if, Canon Divergence - Thor (2011), Gen, Mama laufey, POV Thor (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26905849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Virodeil/pseuds/Virodeil
Summary: Thor Seeks answers from Laufey. Well, Laufey seeks answers, too, although not necessarily from Thor.(A very short, wildly AU “what if” snippet from Thor 1, based on Rey-verse headcanons.)
Relationships: Laufey (Marvel) & Loki (Marvel), Laufey (Marvel) & Thor (Marvel), Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Series: Caught Is Caught Is Cuddled [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1089204
Comments: 4
Kudos: 104





	Child

Author’s notes: Very short and open-ended, but I hope still sweet enough. I am craving a “Cuddle” fix for myself, and thought to share what I got with you folks. This is similar to another story in the collection series, _Words_ , and yet… different. The premise is: “What if Laufey recognises their child right from the start?” I hope you will still enjoy it, however short it is, as I do. - Rey

Started on: 1st June 2020 at 11:33 PM  
Finished on: 9th October 2020 at 08:08 AM

**O-O-O-O**

Indignation, fury and confidence drive Thor, Crown Prince of Asgard, to go to Jötunheim, to demand recompense for his ruined coronation ceremony as king. With him go his younger brother and his faithful friends, as is proper.

The band of brave and mighty Asgardians is deposited by the loyal Heimdall through the Bifrost on a patch of desolate, cold, icy land among more of such. But Asgard has long known about how cold and desolate this realm is; else why would its inhabitants attempt to invade green, temperate Midgard all those centuries ago? So Thor ignores it and leads his loyal company on to where reports said the king of the beasts is seated on its icy throne. He wants _answers_ to why and how some of the beasts dared to set foot in his realm, let alone during his coronation ceremony, and by the Norns he will _get them_ , one way or another.

And there the beast is, seated on a _chair_ seemingly carved from a block of ice, garbed in only a loincloth and little else: red eyes, blue skin, scars all over its body and face, and no hair in sight. It is not a _giant_ , however. It is even shorter and slimmer than its entourage.

Pathetic. Pitiful. Ugly.

Thor is _disgusted_ to be forced to interact with such a creature. But he _needs_ to seek answers _and_ recompense for what the beasts have done; to give his brother an example of responsibility and kingly might, and to give his people proof that he is indeed fit to be their king, their protector.

So he immediately lays out his demand after the head-beast has “greeted” him, ignoring its mocking and threats, with his friends gathered behind him and his brother standing at his side, as it should be. And how _satisfied_ he feels when he manages to make the beast perturbed – not only angry – by words alone! Clearly, the jötnar chose the wrong leader, so small and weak and pathetic. No wonder they lost the war.

But then, _his brother_ buts in, urging him to _curtail himself_. Is Loki not aware how _damaging_ such a show of weakness is?

Worse, that fool of a young man whom he sometimes has the misfortune of naming as his brother then takes the initiative to _parley with the beast_ , agreeing to its offer of a retreat. Loki has taken a few steps forward, in fact, putting himself closer to danger, _without consulting Thor beforehand_.

And before Thor can say or do anything to mitigate the disaster-in-making, the beast speaks again, addressing _only_ Loki, asking highly out-of-context, highly peculiar, highly invasive questions such as “What is your earliest memory?” and “Do you avoid consuming hot foods and beverages whenever possible?”

And throughout all that, although Loki never answers, that ever-peculiar brother of his pads ever closer to the beast, _as if enthralled by some wicked seiðr-work_.

It is the last strike, for Thor.

“Loki!” the Crown Prince of Asgard barks in his most authoritative tone, which his younger brother usually heeds and obeys, if oftentimes grudgingly.

But, well, apparently, this day is not the usual day in more than one aspect, for Loki _still_ approaches the seated frost giant with slow but unfaltering pace, as if truly bewitched.

And the jötun – the _beast_ – is rising, now, and approaches Loki, and Thor watches in horror as it lays a paw on _his brother’s_ cheek.

His _all-too-silent, all-too-placid_ brother.

And blue begins to spread from the point where paw meets skin, _the blue of the frost giants_ instead of the blue of beginning frostbite or bruising, and before long a smaller frost giant stands in the place of Loki Odinson, second prince of Asgard.

Thor gapes.

The jötun’s eyes – the _bigger jötun’s_ eyes, and the jötun is truly a frost _giant_ , now, somehow, no longer nearly of an ás’ height in his perception – meet his own, then, even as it gathers Loki close to its side, and it addresses him in a calm, flat tone that oddly reminds him of his father when most furious with him, “My child pleaded for your freedom. Go now, and take your entourage with you, before I take your life and those of your company for your father’s hubris.”

Oddly enough… or perhaps not… what sticks in Thor’s mind the most is… “Child?!!”

The beast does not scowl, does not say anything further either to him or to its underlings; does not move, in fact; but Thor takes an involuntary step back, nonetheless, as the beast’s gaze sharpens considerably, piercing him deep and flaying him open.

He saw that cold fury once, in _both_ of his parents, when Loki was delivered home with his lips sewn shut.

Two dwarves met their gruesome ends, for the offence, after they had jibbered their way into silence. And then he, Thor, had been punished for not protecting his younger brother better.

And now that gaze is directed at _him_.

` _Well, I am **not** going to let myself be punished for not protecting my bewitched little brother after I was **nearly** crowned king!_` he decides. And with that – as well as the fear of the cold fury of his own parents, directed at _him_ – firmly in mind, he brandishes Mjolnir, about to free Loki in whatever way he can do.

**O-O-O-O**

End note: Well, from here, the events could either progress nearly as the same as in the film, or, following the theme, wildly AU – as in, Thor and company getting captured with no possible release, befitting the milder interpretation of “take your life and those of your company” as declared by Laufey. Feel free to daydream about it in idle moments….


End file.
